The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-02-23

Gil OF the nation have thought llke
this, and have attempted, more
than once, to pass measure to Sc
cure abolition. Perhaps the people
living in the neighborhood of the
school, who have been occasionally
subjected to annoyance from .hc
boys, have the strongest reason for
favoring such measure. For our.
selves, we are of opinion that the
idea Of disestablishment is unsound
and retrogressive. The intention
and object Of the institution is good,
it has accomplished good, it is
capable of greater good, and it has
the effect of deterring misdemeanors
among juveniles, who have fear
of being placed in its keeping.
Therefore, to amend, improve, and
render efficient, not to abolish,
should be the aim of the Govern
ment.
Another notion which its origin
ators and advocates have thought
wise and practicable, is to make the
Reformatory School purely an insti-
tuition for teaching mechanical
trades, such as carpentering, black
smithing, tailoring, etc. Probably,
the fathers of this idea have never
figured out the cost of providing
completely equipped workshops in
the various departments, and the
expense of conducting them by eff
cient instructors. If they have, did
they ever consider that this PROPOSE
ton, carried into effect, provides
for juvenile miscreants, the least
deserving Of the youth of the coun-
| try, privileges and advantages de-
MED to the most worthy? When
such advantages are placed within
reach of decent and respectable
boys, on payment Of reasonable
fee, it will be time enough to talk of
bestowing them gratuitously on
those of lower grade.
The idea Of a training ship and
making sailors of the boys, which is
considered the best solution of the
question by some, is said by those
who favor it, to possess the element
of cheapness. They say the boys can
be schooled, fed, clothed, and taken
care of on board ship at less cost to
the Government than ON land.
This, however, is not the experience
of other countries, which have
tried similar experiments, and it
is hard to believe that the
Hawaiian Government can succeed
where all others have failed. Those
who talk of the inexpensiveness of
supporting the boys on board ship,
seem to forget all about the cost Of
supporting the ship. Then again
they say, look a. the good dee 20
the boys by making sailors of them.
Yes, we have been trying to look at
it for the last two months, but have
not been able to see it yet. 1t may
be there, like the captains horse,
but we cannot see it. Pray what is
the particular good bestowed or
special benefit conferred?
What seems to be q reasonable
view to take of the Reformatory
School question is this: Hawaii,
like all other countries, has per-
centage Of bad boys, whom it is not
for the general good nor their own
good to allow at large; the Govern
ment should restrain their liberty
and restrict their opportunities Of
mischief; while doing this, every
effort should be made to train them
in better way, that the bad or mis-
chievous boys may develop into
good and useful men; and at the
same time it should be remembered
that the public purse is limited,
with urgent demands constantly
pressing upon it, and therefore the
country cannot afford to expend too
large proportion of its revenue ON
its bad boys. How can these OBJ
jects-curtailing the power of mis-
chief and reforming the character
be best attained, by an expenditure
within the means of the Govern
ment and without involving a cost
disproportionate to the result?
Long and careful study of the
question leads to the belief that no
plan yet devised is equal to the
one ON which the institution was
founded. Its main feature, outside
of purely school work, is industrial